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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be so p*****d off with Virgin Media and Talk talk that I want to cry?

27 replies

iamamug · 05/02/2015 16:19

Anyone out there currently on Virgin broadband non cable - listen up.
You have been sold to Talk Talk and your service will be transferred to Talk Talk anytime soon.
They may or may not tell you about this.
You may find out when your internet goes down.
And then you may be into your 8th day with no service and you may be rocking gently in a corner like me.
The fight has nearly gone out of me.
I'm shouting at them on Twitter - I'm just getting platitudes.
I work from home.
I honestly want to cry.
Anyone got any tips????????

OP posts:
TheFecklessFairy · 05/02/2015 16:39

We switched to BT - 100% reliable (although it costs more!).

ShelaghTurner · 05/02/2015 16:44

Our Virginmedia broadband has been almost job existent for about 4 months now and we're getting nowwhere complaining to them Angry

ShelaghTurner · 05/02/2015 16:44

*non

Pippidoeswhatshewants · 05/02/2015 16:47

No chance of switching to BT or sky quickly? Work in coffee shop with free wifi for now?

I work from home, too, and this would be a nightmare!

Sleepyoto · 05/02/2015 16:49

No tips, but we have already been switched to Talk Talk (although contract still with Virgin) and have normal service. Don't get me started on trying to switch providers to BT though - they have already ballsed up what should be a relatively straightforward process, and I am currently charting every step on their online help forums, which seems to be moderately helpful. Does Virgin have similar?

Sleepyoto · 05/02/2015 16:50

Lol x-post with Pippi - I would stake money on no chance of a quick switch to another provider!

Original poster
iamamug · 05/02/2015 17:04

I have every intention of moving as soon as my service has been reinstated. Slight problem at the moment as my husband is account holder and he is currently abroad so they won't give me my MAC code to enable me to move.
I'm very lucky in that there is one spot in the house where my laptop can pick up next door's signal and they have given me their password so I can access it.
At least I can do some work but no printers working etc.
And neither of my Vodafone phones will connect to the internet at all - even with the Wifi switched off.
I'm not sure what to do next - just suck it up and cry!

OP posts:
missymayhemsmum · 05/02/2015 18:05

Sound like a nightmare. Once you can, switch to the Phone Co-op, they're lovely, they answer their phones and when they make a profit you get some of it back as dividend. They do mobiles, phone, broadband but not telly.

IDismyname · 05/02/2015 18:08

We've had a letter to the same effect from Virgin.

I'm now really worried about losing our service :(

PonyoLovesHam · 05/02/2015 18:20

Make sure you're not being signed up to a new 18 month contract when your service start again OP.

We're with talk talk, and moving house, and taking them to our new house means a new 18month contract.

Fluffyears · 05/02/2015 18:21

Sky have a free unlimited broadband for two years deal. It was so simple I set it up rather than dp Smile

LlamaLove · 05/02/2015 18:21

Fuck TalkTalk. They are absolute fuckers. It is impossible to hold a 2 way conversation with them on the phone because I assume they read from a prep prepared script and pick the closest script to your question/query/issue.

They are absolutely diabolical. You need to get out of beiong with them. This is just the start of your nightmares if you stay with them.

I can hand on heart say. They are the absolute worse company I have EVER had to deal with in all of my life.

They have reduced me to tears many many times.

They could offer me £50 a month to stay with them and life time supply of chocolate! I would still tell them to ram it!

I am now with Plusnet. I really cannot recommend them high enough.

Xenadog · 05/02/2015 18:42

Virgin are the worst company I have ever had the misfortune to encounter. I can't bore you (and myself again) with my tales of their ineptitude but I totally understand your frustration and anger at them. May they rot!

ohfuschia · 05/02/2015 18:49

Have to agree with Llamalove - talktalk are hands down the worst company I have ever had to deal with, and like previous poster don't wish to lose any more of my life detailing my experience but please get out if you can!

luckyjazz · 05/02/2015 18:54

I agree with everything Llama Love says, Talk Talk had me sat on the floor crying (actual tears) like a baby, with sheer frustration at their customer service, the worst company I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with, I look forward to them accosting me in shopping malls, I actively seek them out so I can shout at the top of my voice," NO NO NO YOU HAVE THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE IN THE WORLD, I WOULDN'T SIGN UP IF YOU PAID ME EVERY MONTH FOR THE PRIVILEGE" you have my deepest sympathies, we are with Sky, no problems so far.

roland83 · 05/02/2015 18:55

As a WiFi solution for now, can you get hold of a Huawei Mifi unit? Around £50, you can connect up to 5 devices to it I think. I have one as a back up as I also work from home and need the internet.

You need to get a DATA ONLY Sim for it too, I used to get a 3 month one for £22 on eBay.

Hope that helps, Mine was with '3' and I got a good signal here, you might be able to buy one from the local phone shop.

Hope it get's sorted quickly!

queeneileen · 05/02/2015 18:57

I've done the same as Llamalove and gone with Plusnet - and I wasn't even fully set up with TalkTalk before they started.

I rang to cancel the engineer appointment - they cancelled the entire order (broadband, phone and tv)

I rang back when I got the confirmation email (15mins later) and was told that I could no longer have my package on the agreed date, they'd have to give me a new phone number or I could call back the next day to see if I could have my current phone number. I was talked over, ignored, put on hold for over 30mins at one point, asked for complaints and passed back to Sales, asked for Customer Loyalty department and was stuck back on hold. I'd been on the phone for 2hrs before hanging up.

I've tweeted them, emailed them, and they've sent me a postage bag to send them their router back.

They can feck off.

Original poster
iamamug · 05/02/2015 18:59

Thanks for that great advice roland83 I'll look into that.
I have every intention of moving asap and I have always had excellent customer service from Sky - 20+ years so am thinking of going down that route.
No-one has anything good to say about TalkTalk although they are contacting me via twitter - I keep tweeting acerbic updates!

OP posts:
Sleepyoto · 05/02/2015 19:24

I got my MAC even though my husband is main account holder - whenever I have spoken to Virgin they have dealt with me because I can pass the security questions, but when I phoned this time I got through to Talk talk as they were taking overflow calls from Virgin. The first operator said he couldn't deal with me, said I could try getting back through to a Virgin operator (who have access to more account info than Talk talk) by queueing again, I got through to another Talk talk guy who was very helpful and authorised the request for me (possibly when I started giggling slightly hysterically).

Short suggestion - if you know the passwords on the account it's worth a try, depending on how long you have to wait for your husband to return!

TwinkieTwinkle · 05/02/2015 19:28

Had the biggest drama with Talk Talk a while back. Were offered a brilliant package, too good to turn down and they just took the piss. Without internet for 10 days before we cancelled as we were getting nowhere with them. Even then the cancelling was a nightmare. Ended up going back with our tails between our legs to Sky. More expensive but they treat their customers with respect and wouldn't dream of pulling the crap Talk Talk did.

Original poster
iamamug · 05/02/2015 19:32

I don't know the security info sleepyoto - DH not due back until next Thursday - he may call but I can guarantee he won't know it off the top of his head.
I'm getting by with this one laptop pinching next door's signal but it's made me realise how much we take it for granted.
My 12 year old has never known life without it.
I am rediscovering reading proper books lol!

OP posts:
TelephoneIgnoringMachine · 05/02/2015 19:37

Now worried. Have just started new contracts with Talk Talk this week for home phone/broadband/TV, & 2 x mobile phones. So far so good though.

Sleepyoto · 05/02/2015 19:40

Oh that's a shame. I am grateful that we still have connection, but can almost guarantee that we will be cut off at some point and not reconnected - I have past experience of the levels of incompetence BT can achieve.

At least you are making the most of remembering what life was like pre-internet!

Sleepyoto · 05/02/2015 19:43

Same with all these companies I think, you should be fine as long as you don't have to use their "customer services"...

HappyAgainOneDay · 05/02/2015 19:49

I moved from BT to TalkTalk with no break in service but it was a good few years ago....